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LB is amazing... I've read the visual novel and I seriously cannot wait for Refrain. Rin is one of the best Key girls out there and all in all its just an enjoyable story. I highly recommend this to anyone.

Little Busters! is an anime adaptation of the visual novel by the same name made by Key, who are also responsible for several other visual novels turned anime such as Kanon and Clannad (the latter of which is overall the most compelling story I've ever seen). They also wrote the original anime, Angel Beats!, so you know they put out some high quality works.

Now I played this as a visual novel, ...

Little Busters! is an anime adaptation of the visual novel by the same name made by Key, who are also responsible for several other visual novels turned anime such as Kanon and Clannad (the latter of which is overall the most compelling story I've ever seen). They also wrote the original anime, Angel Beats!, so you know they put out some high quality works.

Now I played this as a visual novel, and I can't express in words how much I loved it. It wasn't without it's imperfections, but overall it brought forth more emotions from me than I would have thought possible from any game. To me, Little Busters! is a masterpiece on the same level as Clannad though for different reasons.

Here's why I have to give this two stars.

Despite being animated, this adaptation doesn't deliver anywhere near the same impact as the visual novel. The changes they make are mostly small, but they make all the difference. The facial expressions, line delivery changes, scene compositions, the added humor and the jokes they removed, together they all manage to strip away the charm the original content had and instead we're left with something that's barely better than mediocre.
Maybe I'm just too overly sensitive to these kinds of things, but I believe they make a big difference subconsciously even if you don't notice it. The observant watcher should notice what I'm talking about. I also have major problems with how J.C. Staff has decided to tell the story overall. They've basically copy pasted the scenes and routes one after the other. It feels as though they're trying too hard to copy the format of the Clannad and Kanon animes, and if you've played the game or finished Refrain (assuming they don't make any huge changes) you'll see that that format just doesn't work due to story based issues (I won't go into details for fear of spoilers).

I just don't think that J.C. Staff has the kind of talent to back up a series like this. They've managed to do too much while at the same time not doing enough. I actually wish they had done an even worse job so that maybe we'd get another studio to do a better remake like Kyoto Animation did to Toei's first Kanon anime. But alas, I think that most fans will probably feel satisfied with this. They'll see some of their favorite scenes animated and think, "this is fine", or a new fan will watch it and think "I enjoyed that."

Again, this adaptation isn't that bad, which is why I hate it. This should have been something amazing, something that even the most jaded of critics would find themselves emotionally invested in, but J.C. Staff just wasn't up to the challenge.

Story is what you can expect from Key/Visual Art's. At this point Little Busters feels like "Next Generation Successor" to Angel Beats, Clannad, Kanon and Air, which all are amazing by the way.

Basicly the story has a few plot twists and things that are done in ways nobody has done it before, it feels fresh and the longer you follow it the ...

JC Staff has done amazing job animating this Anime.

Story is what you can expect from Key/Visual Art's. At this point Little Busters feels like "Next Generation Successor" to Angel Beats, Clannad, Kanon and Air, which all are amazing by the way.

Basicly the story has a few plot twists and things that are done in ways nobody has done it before, it feels fresh and the longer you follow it the more you get attached to it.

I can only describe Key's anime in a way of "The more you stick around and watch it, the more you get out of it". Compared to anime: "Very cool and catches you at episode 1, 2 and 3 but the longer it gets the less you become attached to it and just want it to end"

It is the other way around with Keys anime, you never want them to end.

So as im sure you have noticed based on how many people have made reviews thus far and that its pretty well known this anime is based on a Key visual novel. These are the same guys who created novels such as Clannad, Kanon, Air, Angle beats! etc. All of these anime are quality and their VN counterparts are really good as well. Some would argue they are some of the best in the realm of VNs. ...

So as im sure you have noticed based on how many people have made reviews thus far and that its pretty well known this anime is based on a Key visual novel. These are the same guys who created novels such as Clannad, Kanon, Air, Angle beats! etc. All of these anime are quality and their VN counterparts are really good as well. Some would argue they are some of the best in the realm of VNs.

Along comes Little Busters! Unlike the predecessors before it, the anime was picked up by JC staff instead of Kyoto-animation. Let me just say this first: Little busters the VN is one of the best VNs out there in terms of how much it utilizes the format. No other VN I have read (and there are been many) has tied the story so closely to the VN format like LB! has. That being said, when they first announced they would create an Anime I was a bit skeptical and with good reason. I wont go into it because it will reveal a lot of spoilers, however, lets just say that this novel is not one that could be easily adapted to an anime due to how non-linear the story is. (infact, i remember reading a few years before they started the animation that some key employee's said that LB! was an impossible VN to animate.) Unfortunately, this shows a lot in the first season of LB!. As a consequence of this and how slow paced the season was in general, it wasn't as well received as many of the other Key adaptations out there (clannad being one that still hits top 10 lists to this day.).

This is a shame because it directly impacts this particular season's budget and as such we now have a 13 episode season instead of a 26 episode one. this poses a problem as the refrain route of Little busters has about the same amount of text in it as Clannad: After story has. As a VN reader, it is very hard for me to try to imagine chopping as much of the material away as they need to to produce this season but I will say this: Thus far the season has been above and beyond what the first season was. Part of this has to do with the current content that is being shown in the show but also the other part has to do with the fact that JC staff decided to depart from the Kyoto-Animation style of doing things artistically.

With the first season, I watched simply because I wanted to see parts from the VN animated. Some of which were a big disappointment due to some of the changes they decided to make, others were also spot on and fantastical, invoking feelings of the VN its self. Again i will reiterate, the content and story are not very anime friendly. So while LB! on the surface may seem to be about a group of friends trying to start up a baseball team, it really is so much more then just that.

Thats about all i can say right now as there are only 4 episodes currently out for this season. I will say that it certainly merits a watch if you have watched through the first season, and these 4 episodes alone are almost worth recommending that you watch the first season before hand. granted, if you were to watch this show with out any context you would be pretty lost and it wouldn't have the emotional impact that it should. It still remains to be seen if LB!: refrain will deliver the infamously emotional and heart rending refrain route with the same impact as it had in the VN, but for some one who didn't like the first season that much and still can't imagine how they plan to pull it off with so few episodes, I will still highly recommend you take a look at this show. If LB!: Refrain turns out to be what it should be then it will end up on people's top 10 lists easily, however, if it fails it will fade into obscurity. This would be unfortunate given how passionate so many people are about this title.

The anime has entertaining and cute characters. Moments that can make you glimpse and smile making you craving for more. Although everything seems moe and bright doesn't mean nothing bad can happen. The anime has an interesting story to it:

A group of 5 friends, started a fun club called Little Busters which is doing fun stuff like playing baseball. On their fun times they start to encounter ...

The anime has entertaining and cute characters. Moments that can make you glimpse and smile making you craving for more. Although everything seems moe and bright doesn't mean nothing bad can happen. The anime has an interesting story to it:

A group of 5 friends, started a fun club called Little Busters which is doing fun stuff like playing baseball. On their fun times they start to encounter characters which has a dark past and will try to help them and eventually invite them to the Little Busters. Later, everyday life is like full of happiness and fun. But, is it true or an illusion?

I recommend it, and recommend it good.
Don't miss out Little Busters Refrain and EX!

This anime has definitely receives 5 stars from me. It was so beautiful the story and building the bond was amazing. This anime has to be one of my absolute favorite. I recommend it fully a must watch!

I thought the first season was pretty average and I enjoyed some of the characters, the second season I would compare to the endless eight or a car crash because it just didn't work and ended in a bit of a mess.

They tried too hard and it felt forced, the ending failed to be emotional at all and it wasn't very clever.

If you enjoyed the first season you can stop here, this whole season is ...

I thought the first season was pretty average and I enjoyed some of the characters, the second season I would compare to the endless eight or a car crash because it just didn't work and ended in a bit of a mess.

They tried too hard and it felt forced, the ending failed to be emotional at all and it wasn't very clever.

If you enjoyed the first season you can stop here, this whole season is basically a very simple ending dragged out.

i love this anime i did not even care how long it took for season 2 its just that good that you like hey i can wait. This show just add the best storyline.Just how it explains and walkes you throw it leaving you on you toes then showing you the story. I mean come on guys just look at the tital art work you gotta love it. There just one wierd part i dont think they ever played a real ...

i love this anime i did not even care how long it took for season 2 its just that good that you like hey i can wait. This show just add the best storyline.Just how it explains and walkes you throw it leaving you on you toes then showing you the story. I mean come on guys just look at the tital art work you gotta love it. There just one wierd part i dont think they ever played a real baseball game.

Overall the story line, the animation, the characters they're all put together pretty well. Personally i am in love with Key and their whole production scheme of each anime. I would say it's unique until the point where each and every anime has the same sequence of events. My first Key animation was Clannad, it was sad it broke me down for days, but then i watched Air, Kanon, Angel Beats etc and ...

Overall the story line, the animation, the characters they're all put together pretty well. Personally i am in love with Key and their whole production scheme of each anime. I would say it's unique until the point where each and every anime has the same sequence of events. My first Key animation was Clannad, it was sad it broke me down for days, but then i watched Air, Kanon, Angel Beats etc and you just start to see a pattern.
But regardless, the storyline and what happened differs in each, and i still get excited watching and waiting for each episode. ^^ If you like tearing down plus some funny effects you should watch Little Busters.

It has a second season like Clannad but it's more connected to the first season where as Clannad After Story was more a "what would happen after high school" kind of story line. Little Busters Refrain explains a lot of the unexpected. I like that part of it.
Thanks for reading my review, and i hope you enjoy it has much as i do. ^^

Okay, so before I start I have to say that I have never written a review but I feel compelled to write one just because of how horrible this show has been. I'm a huge fan of the developer but I'm sorry Key, you have failed me!

As if sitting through 29 episodes of a mediocre first season wasn't bad enough, expecting the refrain to shake things up was a massive disappointment. Not only does it ...

Okay, so before I start I have to say that I have never written a review but I feel compelled to write one just because of how horrible this show has been. I'm a huge fan of the developer but I'm sorry Key, you have failed me!

As if sitting through 29 episodes of a mediocre first season wasn't bad enough, expecting the refrain to shake things up was a massive disappointment. Not only does it fail to engage the viewer throughout the series, it manages to bore you for multiple episodes before smacking you with a decent episode. Even then, the 'revealing' episodes lack the 'it' factor that makes an anime interesting. It simply says: "here is what's happening, here is how things are, and here is what we've been hiding from you all along." There's no instigating substance. You'll simply be struggling to keep your concentration. The climax of the story comes before and after so much repetition that it simply becomes lacklustre. You'll be counting the minutes towards the ending of each episode.

The anime, being so focused on character development, neglects pretty much every other factor. For a series that spent 29 episodes creating and developing likeable characters, it simply falls flat on all fours in the refrain. Plot? A lot of potential but failed in portraying it. Graphics? Very nice, as expected from Key. Characters? Pretty much the only thing that was well developed.

PLEASE LISTEN TO ME WHEN I TELL YOU THAT this show isn't worth it! Just like the first season, this show was a total train wreck and taking into account that there's a total of 39 episodes to watch between both seasons, it simply isn't worth it; do something else with your time!

About the Show

Naoe Riki was a boy living on the brink of despair. The one to reach out to him was Natsume Kyousuke, a just boy who called himself the
Naoe Riki was a boy living on the brink of despair. The one to reach out to him was Natsume Kyousuke, a just boy who called himself the leader of the "Little Busters." Every day from then on was like an endless carnival, and the pain in Riki's heart slowly ebbed away.
A few years later, the five of them are living in the same school dorm, still living every day like a carnival. But when Kyousuke starts to look for a job, Riki worries that the five friends will drift apart.
"Let's start a baseball team. We'll call it... the Little Busters!" ...more